PEORIA — Construction at Main and University streets probably will be completed by the time the Peoria Marathon is held next month. But if it isn’t ...

“We do have alternative routes planned,” Peoria Police Lt. Steve Roegge said Tuesday. “We’ve looked at multiple different routes, and we try to come up with the best route that’s the safest for runners and the safest for the public that’s driving.”

The current path for the second annual marathon takes runners through the Main-University intersection about 16 miles into their 26.2-mile trek. The marathon is set for the morning of May 18, about one week after the junction is to be reopened.

The Main-University area been closed to vehicles since March 31 to undergo a much-debated renovation designed to make it more pedestrian friendly.

Marathon runners are to head south on Elmwood Avenue from West Parkside Drive, then east on Main past University toward Downtown Peoria. If weather or anything else disrupts Main-University reopening plans, a likely eastbound alternative is Columbia Terrace, Roegge said. Columbia is parallel to Main but north of it.

Race organizer Adam White suggested a detour that includes using University, Russell and Underhill streets to return to Main. But Roegge said he wants to keep University open to vehicular traffic.

“Adam has his concerns with making sure the miles are right,” Roegge said about certifying the course length. “Ours is for the safety of the runners and the public.”

White said he’s flexible. His crew can adjust the route on short notice.

“I’m not worried about it,” White said. “We’re in a position to do whatever the city needs us to do come the day of the event.”

The current path through the Main-University area was changed from the inaugural run. Last year, participants traversed the intersection twice.

This time, they’re routed north on Elmwood through the Bradley University campus, from Bradley Avenue to Main. A westward turn at Main takes the route through West Peoria and the Uplands neighborhood before it heads east again.

About 3,000 people are expected to run in the marathon, according to White. It features route changes that attempt to limit neighborhood congestion and reduce the race’s overall footprint.

“It keeps it a much more containable, manageable beast,” White said.

Nick Vlahos can be reached at 686-3285 or nvlahos@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @VlahosNick.